Monday, January 7, 2013

Well.... the Mayans were ?

So it is now 2013. For those of us with triskaidekaphobia ( fear of the number 13) this will just be a banner year. But we should take note we will deal with one less Friday the 13th this year. We only have two - so we only have to worry about September and December.
And we are not alone - our poor grandparents had to make it through 1913. Not all was bad that year. The first crossword puzzle appeared in the "New York World" in 1913. Of course, for those with triskaidekaphobia - that was also the year of the 16th admendment to the U.S. Constitution. No need to run to your pocket Constitution or your search engine - the 16th amendment was the income tax. So I guess my point is.... what your wallets !!!
The Mayans were .....? Neither right nor wrong ... they just ran out of calendar space. Since there was apparently no Mayan equivelant to a Hallmark store - they just had to wait to make a new calendar. Bad luck - they did not make it 2012 to start all over. So the Mayans were just not here to make a new calendar.
So what should we expect in 2013? Well , I guess more taxes is obvious. ( guess they could  come up with another amendment sticking it to us all but I cannot imagine 2/3 of the states would agree to that). Things will cost more - nothing new there.
But fashion wise... apparently man made fibers will be out. ( only because the manufacturers of man made fibers are closing down).So expect to see more 100% cotton ,wool, rayon, and silk on those care labels. More clothes will be made overseas - China, Indonesnia, and Vietnam. That folks is damn shame for lots of reasons. First it takes American jobs overseas. Second, the stuff made there is just not the same quality.Dyes are not as good. The sewing is not as precise. All in all we the consumer are just not getting the quality we should. I do not know who to blame for this ....us for wanting cheaper prices, the unions for demanding expensive benefits, the government for making taxes and regulations onerous, or the clothing companies for the outrageous mark up on the clothes.  Probably all are to blame. But that just leaves us with expensive clothes that aren't made well at all.
So I guess 2013 will look a like 2012. Maybe the Mayans were right ... there just wasn't a lot of point in making a new calendar when the old one would pretty much suffice. Same old Same old!!!